Charges still pending in fatal hit-and-run

MARCIA LANE

Published Saturday, April 22, 2006

No decision has been made on what charges will be filed in a hit and run accident that left a man dead in St. Augustine Shores Thursday.

"We've done the investigation. Now it moves next door to the State Attorney's office for review. Working together we'll decide what the charges may be," said Sgt. Chuck Mulligan, spokesman for the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Friday.

Mulligan said that since there are so many traffic laws, Sheriff's Office officials and the traffic homicide unit will go over options with the State Attorney's representatives in order to decide which charges apply.

"I'm assuming it will be Monday or Tuesday before we move. Cases like this have some priority, but we do want to come up with the most appropriate charges," he said.

A 17-year-old turned himself in after the accident that killed Domenic "Sonny" Ferraro, 74, in front of his house on Deltona Boulevard in St. Augustine Shores.

Two 15-year-olds, a girl and a boy, were passengers in the 1997 red Hyundai Elantra that struck Ferraro, according to the Sheriff's Office report. The three juveniles are from Hendersonville, N.C.

Mulligan said the driver's name has not been released because he is a juvenile and because, so far, no charges have been filed.

The three juveniles and the 17-year-old's mother were allowed to return to Hendersonville after the police investigation and questioning. They were not considered a flight risk, according to law enforcement officials.

"We know who they are and we know where they live," said Mulligan, adding they had turned themselves in and did it fairly soon after the accident.

The mother brought the three in after seeing the damaged car and hearing of the accident on television. The four were visiting in St. Augustine.